Pages

Sunday, November 27, 2011

The Successful Novelist - Lesson Six

The Tactics of Structure
- subdivide the huge task of a novel into smaller, more manageable steps

- using the 3-part plot structure, he suggests The Beginning (1/7), The Middle (5/7), and The End (1/7), 300 pages novel should be about 40 pages, 220 pages, and 40 pages

- you can then break down each chapter into a beginning, middle, and end, but focus on dramatizing the middle and implying the beginning and end of each chapter

- by subdividing your novel, by thinking of it in terms of arcs and small units within those arcs, you’re not only making it easier for you to write, you’re also making it easier for the reader to appreciate the unity of those fifty-page sections

- by definition, flashbacks impede the forward movement of the story and should be approached with severe caution

- beginning each chapter like you begin you book, use a strong event to grab the reader’s attention

No comments:

Post a Comment

SPIRIT QUEST

I'm currently looking for representation for SPIRIT QUEST, a 98,000-word Rural Fantasy set in Canada that weaves Ojibwe spirituality and legend into a fast-paced thriller, all filtered through a blue-collared protagonist.